🏉 Cornwall Rugby: Pirates complete league campaign with bonus-point win
Plus: Nowell’s Chiefs career ends with Champions Cup loss; Clutch of clubs fall short in Papa Johns Cup — but Launceston live on; Cornish representative sides in action this weekend
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⬇️ In today’s newsletter ⬇️
🏴☠️ Pirates complete league campaign with bonus-point win
👋 Nowell’s Chiefs career ends with Champions Cup loss
🏆 Clutch of clubs fall short in Papa Johns Cup — but Launceston live on
〓〓 Cornish representative sides in action this weekend
👀 What’s on this weekend
🏴☠️ Pirates complete league campaign with bonus-point win
By Gareth Davies
Cornish Pirates chief Gavin Cattle says his side ‘were in preservation mode’ after a narrow 34-29 away victory over Championship basement dwellers Richmond.
The bonus point triumph saw the Pirates bring the curtain down on their Championship campaign with fifth place secured. For Richmond, they will face trips to the likes of Plymouth Albion and Taunton Titans next term after defeat confirmed relegation to National League 1.
However, the Richmond Athletic Ground clash isn’t the end of the Pirates’ campaign as they have a mouthwatering Championship Cup semi-final this coming Friday, May 5 against recently crowned league champions Jersey Reds.
One eye on a possible chance of silverware if the Channel Island outfit are defeated, with either Ealing or Doncaster contesting the other semi-final, was the root cause of a Pirates performance that will have to improve under the Mennaye lights according to Welshman Cattle.
He said: “To their credit Richmond, as expected, gave their all. But looking at our game I thought we looked dangerous at times on the ball, though perhaps just lacked that bit of physicality at the breakdown. I also think we just did enough at crucial times, as it appeared we were in preservation mode ahead of next week’s cup match when we will have to be much better.
“It got close in the second half, but I wasn’t worried because we looked in control most of the time and when on the ball looked like we could score when we wanted and needed to. Also, we left a few tries out there today, and especially late in the game.
“Having said all this there was good decision making out on the pitch and our forwards are moving better but it’s just that physicality at the breakdown that needs to go up a notch or two.”
Winger Will Trewin started the Pirates’ ball rolling in just the second minute when he collected Harry Bazalgette’s pin-point crossfield kick. Bazalgette couldn’t add the extras, but the Pirates were up and running.
Cornishman Trewin nearly doubled his and the Pirates’ lead shortly after but he was denied by former Mennaye favourite Alex O’Meara, who donned Richmond’s number 15 jersey against his former club.
Inspired by O’Meara, Richmond moved up field and after the Pirates shipped consecutive penalties, hooker Joe Vajner crossed the whitewash. Just like Bazalgette, his opposite number Alex Burrage missed the conversion.
Parity was only temporary for Richmond as a quick-fire brace from AJ Cant put the Pirates in the driving seat with Bazalgette converting both efforts as he found his range from the tee.
But any chance that the Richmond floodgates would open at this stage were extinguished when James Lennon fooled the Pirates defence with a dummy and he scored near the sticks. Burrage then opened his account with a conversion and at the break, the Pirates were ahead but at 19-12, not out of sight.
The second 40 minutes began just like the first with the visitors on top and after a penalty was awarded, hooker Morgan Nelson duly secured the bonus-point. Bazalgette was unfortunate with the extra two points but made amends shortly after with a successful penalty attempt.
With a lead of 15 points, the Pirates were in complete control but a raft of changes for both sides, which included the departure of Bazalgette to a suspected broken leg, inspired the hosts and disrupted the Penzance based side.
Firstly winger Zuriel Makele exploited a well-worked overlap to score and then replacement scrum-half Jack Stafford successfully charged down a kick to score Richmond’s fourth try of the afternoon.
Crucially, though, Burrage could only add one conversion and the Pirates held a slender 27-24 advantage.
Bazalgette’s replacement Carwyn Penny then settled any Pirates nerves when he took control of proceedings and the away side finally put the game to bed. Trewin bagged a second of the afternoon and with Penny converting, a 10-point advantage had been opened up.
But credit to Richmond, who never raised the white flag, and they finished the scoring through Alex Post to secure a losing bonus point too.
Meanwhile, Cattle added that the serious looking injury to Bazalgette had ‘put a dampener’ on a season ending victory.
The Inverness born fly-half, who was raised in Dorset before studying at Exeter University, has been one of the Pirates’ most consistent performers, missing only a handful of games in 22-23.
“It was very unfortunate losing the services of Harry Bazalgette who has a suspected broken leg,” Cattle revealed. “It is bitterly disappointing both for him and the team, because he has had a big season for us, and it inevitably put a bit of a dampener on the day.”
📋 Pirates: Cant, Wedlake (Penny 51), Tucker (Smith 41), Elderkin, Trewin, Bazalgette (Schwarz 51), Kessell; Andrew (Morris 62), Nelson (Norey 51), Johnson (King 41), Barker, Britton (Fender 41), Teague (Gibson 51), Stevens, Grubb.
📸 View the club’s photo gallery from the match here
📈 Championship table:
Jersey Reds, 100pts
Ealing Trailfinders, 98pts
Coventry, 88pts
Bedford Blues, 67pts
Cornish Pirates, 61pts
Doncaster Knights, 52pts
Hartpury University, 50pts
Ampthill, 47pts
Nottingham, 43pts
Caldy, 39pts
London Scottish, 26pts
Richmond, 23pts
👋 Nowell’s Chiefs career ends with Champions Cup loss
By Gareth Davies
There was no fairytale ending as an Exeter Chief for Jack Nowell after defeat to French powerhouses La Rochelle in the Heineken Champions Cup semi-final on Saturday.
A graduate through the Penzance & Newlyn junior system, Nowell captained Exeter in a 47-28 defeat that sees La Rochelle face Leinster in a repeat of last year’s final.
Nowell has revealed that he will leave Sandy Park after more than a decade of service and although his destination has not been confirmed yet, it is understood, ironically, that he will join La Rochelle.
Along with Nowell, there were plenty of other Cornish rugby connections in the Chiefs’ matchday squad with former Pirates hooker Dan Frost starting in the front row. Tom Wyatt, who has spent time at the Mennaye this term wore the number 15 jersey and restricted retiring Scottish and British Lions full-back Stuart Hogg to a place on the bench.
Former Pirates loan star Sam Simmonds, who will play for Montpellier next year, put the Chiefs ahead before La Rochelle hit back to secure victory.
Dave Ewers, who cut his rugby teeth with a loan spell at the Mennaye in 2011/12 was thrust into the fray as a replacement in the second half but by this point, the French outfit were in complete control.
Despite the defeat and an upcoming summer of significant transfer activity for the Chiefs, with many star names following Nowell out the door, with this lengthy list including another Cornishman in Luke Cowan-Dickie, there is still grounds for optimism across the Tamar.
Falmouth Eagles mini and junior graduate Will Becconsall looks destined for further progression wearing the Exeter number nine jersey. His father Gary is well known in Duchy rugby circles and played for the old Penzance and Newlyn side before they rebranded to the Cornish Pirates.
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🏆 Clutch of Cornish clubs fall short in Papa Johns Cup — but Launceston live on
By Gareth Davies
St Austell’s Twickenham dreams were dashed after an agonising 22-20 defeat at Horsham in the Papa Johns Community Cup Regional 2 Championship semi-final.
The Saints arguably shaded both possession and territory in a wonderful advert for community rugby with home speedster Declan Nwachukwu edging the tie towards his side with a wonderful hat-trick.
Playing their first ever match on an artificial pitch, St Austell settled well and despite finding themselves camped in the Horsham red-zone, it was the hosts first foray into range that resulted in the opening try.
A neat grubber kick caught Saints flat footed and Nwachukwu pounced to finish with Oli Chennel’s fine conversion making it a seven-point score.
Saints almost replied instantly when bustling centre Sam Parsons punched a hole in the Horsham rearguard with winger Danny Tyrell looking odds on for a stroll in. However, the pint-sized winger, on early for the injured Ben Plummer, couldn’t gather and Saints had blown a glorious opportunity to hit straight back.
The Lions’ respite was only temporary however as Saints did finally get the points their early endeavours had merited when skipper Mark Vian finished off a line-out drive. Matt Shepherd converted to tie the scores at 7-7.
The next scoring action came just four minutes shy of the interval when Saints were penalised by the referee for not rolling away and Chennel knocked over the resulting penalty.
After the break, a wonderful counter-attacking try from Nwachukwu, which was converted by Chennel, gave Horsham a 10-point advantage.
But Saints haven’t blown away all before them in 2022/23 by fluke and a Shepherd penalty after 48 minutes started the comeback.
The game then swung on a huge call by the man with the whistle with Saints well on top. Konnor Ewudzi broke clear in trademark fashion and found Tyrrell who, with only Tom Johnson to beat, chipped ahead and was stopped in his tracks by the home man.
Although Tyrrell would have surely gathered the ball and dotted down, the try, in the referee’s eyes, was not certain and so no penalty-try was awarded. However, Johnson was correctly sent for a 10-minute sabbatical for his cruel and deliberate intervention.
Despite being denied an almost certain try, Saints were not deterred and registered the score of the game through Archie Bees. Playing because of injuries to Max Bullen and Chris Ashwin, which moved Shepherd into the fly-half role, Bees gathered a high kick in his own half before setting off on a mesmerising run which resulted in a second St Austell try.
And then, on the hour mark, Horsham’s Josh Earle was shown yellow for a late hit on CJ Boyce which forced St Austell’s scrum-half from the field. Shepherd kicked the penalty after Earle’s foul and Saints had their noses in front for the first time.
The score remained 20-17 in the visitors’ favour until five minutes from time when Nwachukwu completed his treble and put Horsham two points to the good.
Back Saints came for one last crack at the Horsham line, but the Lions were tenacious in defence and squeaky clean with their discipline meaning they held on to book their place in the Headquarters showpiece.
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Launceston have made it through to the final of their respective Papa Johns competition — without lacing a semi-final boot in anger.
Owing to the withdrawal of the Civil Service Stags, the All Blacks are automatically through to the final against Wirral, which will take place at Sixways, home of the now defunct Worcester Warriors, this Saturday, May 6.
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After a storming second half comeback, Truro bowed out at the semi-final stage, going down 40-35 on the road at Reeds Weybridge.
The Regional Plate 2 semi-final clash was an archetypal game of two halves with the Cornish outfit trailing 33-7 after 40 minutes. Truro’s cause was not helped by two yellow cards during the opening stanza with the hosts seemingly home and hosed at the interval.
However, Truro fought back brilliantly in the second half and with both teams reduced to 14 men as time ticked down, Truro battled away manfully but couldn’t find an all-important winning score.
Despite the lop-sided scoreline at the break, it was Truro who drew first blood in front of a bumper crowd at North Avenue. On a pitch which slopes, Truro hammered away at the Weybridge line and eventually, hooker Luis Powell scored with Ashley Hocking converting.
But that was Truro’s lot before the turnaround as Weybridge’s strength and pace out wide came to the fore and Jack Jesty’s converted try registered the hosts first points.
Marcus Clark then put Reeds Weybridge ahead before the winger was stopped illegally close to the Truro line and a penalty try was awarded. Truro also had a player sent to the sinbin for impeding Clark.
Reeds made their numerical advantage count and Clark’s fellow winger Kitan Ojo plucked a box kick from Ollie Palmer out the sky to score again. Weybridge were running white hot at this point and Matt Stephenson’s effort from deep in his own 22 left Truro with a mountain to climb.
Nevertheless, with less than a minute of the second period elapsed, Truro had already taken advantage of playing down the slope to score through Barnaby Elderkin, with Hosking knocking over another two points.
Truro, with the wind in their collective sails now, forced the Reeds pack towards their own line at a rate of knots with merry whistle blower Billy Huntley awarding a penalty try.
The Weybridge lead had been cut to just 12 points but the outstanding Stephenson kicked a loose ball upfield, successfully gathered and touched down under the posts for another maximum score.
Game over? Truro had other ideas as firstly Jack Tidball scored, before another penalty try went the way of the away side. The enthralling contest was now back to a five-point ball game.
Weybridge were creaking at this point and despite Truro hammering away, they duly held on to make the final at Saracens’ Stone X Stadium on Saturday, with Battersea Ironsides their opponents.
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The story of so near, yet so far continued in the Papa Johns Community Cup with Falmouth also falling at the last four stage.
The Eagles, who have endured a tumultuous season on the pitch in Counties 1 Tribute Western West, finishing bottom of the pile, pushed Crowborough all the way to eventually go down 33-29.
On an emotional day for Falmouth, with long-serving skipper Tom Spiller playing his last ever game for the club before retiring, the Eagles performed bravely before eventually going down in East Sussex.
Falmouth’s try scorers were Niall Davies-Hale, Rowan Lawrence, Finn Deavin, Alex Bullock and Ollie Evans. Crucially for the Eagles’ cause, Harvey Penhallurick could only convert two of his team’s five tries meaning Crowborough prevailed.
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St Ives’ fine campaign ended in a Papa Johns Community Cup defeat after the Hakes blew a 17-0 half-time lead away at Teddington’s Imber Court ground.
The away side delivered a brilliant first 40 minutes of rugby to take control of this semi-final tie with Jacob Ninnes’ solo effort, converted by Grant Thirlby, opening the scoring for St Ives.
Thirlby then kicked a penalty before Nick Prout’s score, direct from a scrum which was converted, put St Ives in the box seat to make the final.
But just on the stroke of half-time Teddington scored and in the second half, they scored 36 unanswered points to stun the Hakes who only managed one further score through Jamie Prisk.
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Elsewhere in the Papa Johns Community Cup, Helston also missed out on a trip to the Stone X Stadium when they lost 36-17 at home to Somerset outfit Wells, in the Counties 2 South Shield semi-final.
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In Tribute county cup action, Saltash defeated Perranporth 47-26 to lift the Clubs’ Trophy in an entertaining match played at Egloshayle, home of Wadebridge Camels.
There was also glory for Newquay Hornets who defeated Illogan Park 11-0 to lift the Clubs’ Plate at the same venue. In a tense, low-scoring affair, one-time Cornwall rugby league player Kyle Johns, who started the season with Wadebridge’s second team, scored all of the Hornets’ points — a try, conversion and penalty goal.
〓〓 Cornish representative sides in action this weekend
By Gareth Davies
The county representative season for Cornish rugby sees senior men’s, women’s and under-20 teams all in action this weekend in the Bill Beaumont, Gill Burns and Jason Leonard Cup competitions respectively.
The men’s side start their county championship defence with a home clash against familiar foes Somerset at Redruth’s Recreation Ground on Saturday — 3.00pm.
Cornwall, who will once again be coached by former England World Cup star Graham Dawe, alongside Marek Churcher and Chris Fuca, are keeping their team selection under wraps currently.
An announcement is expected tomorrow (Wednesday) for the side which for 2023, will be captained by Redruth star Fraser Honey.
After an experimental Cornwall side retained the Tamar Cup by defeating Devon at St Austell’s Tregorrick Park in March, a host of familiar names returned the the initial training squad named by Dawe last month.
They include two of English rugby’s leading try scorers in Ben Priddey (Camborne) and Matt Shepherd (St Austell). There were also some selection shocks with Bude lock Freddie Stevenson making the cut alongside Penryn flyer Charlie Levick and Pirates Ams centre Josh Semmens.
The Cornwall women’s side have named their side for the Division Two match against their Oxfordshire counterparts which takes place at Polson Bridge, Launceston, 24 hours after the men’s game.
The side contains a number of ‘home’ Launceston players and will be captained by Ivybridge’s Amy Bunt as Cornwall look for another successful campaign after winning Division Three in 2023.
“After last year’s triumph, I am unbelievably proud to still be part of this amazing process,” said head coach Jo Holden. “The buy-in we have had from all the women this year has been incredible and they are constantly raising the bar.
“Our aim will always be to elevate women’s rugby and from the amount of women now involved across the county, I hope we are on the right track and can play this campaign with the same amount of passion we showed last year”.
Cornwall: Bunt (Ivybridge, captain), Hawkins (Falmouth), Roberts (Plymstock Albion Oaks), Okey (Ivybridge), Sandercock (Launceston), Hall (Penryn), Warman (Launceston); Ruby (Launceston), J Arnold (Launceston), Innis (Penryn), M Arnold (Launceston), Westgarth (Truro), Ninnis (Penryn), Thomas (Launceston), Wherry (Ivybridge).
Replacements: Upcott (Launceston), Wallace (Camborne), Milliken (Camborne), Smith Scotland (Plymstock Albion Oaks), Allin (Bude), Bennett (Truro), Freight (Truro).
The under-20 side thought their campaign was over but after Devon were found to have committed an administrative error, they were docked seven points meaning Cornwall are still defending their crown won at Sixways a year ago.
On Sunday, the side, coached by Richie Kevern, travel to Gillingham in Dorset to face Dorset & Wilts. The Slaughtergate clash is a South West area play-off with the winning side going through to the semi-finals.
👀 What’s on this weekend
🏉Championship: Saturday, 3pm: Richmond v Cornish Pirates.
🏆Papa Johns Community Cup Regional 1 Shield final: Saturday: Wirral v Launceston (at Sixways, Worcester).
🏉RFL League 1: Sunday, 1pm: Oldham v Cornwall RLFC.
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